911 briefs -- Published Jan. 23, 2014

STOCKTON - Police received almost simultaneous reports of two armed robberies carried out by three men matching similar descriptions Tuesday in the same northeast Stockton neighborhood.

By The Record

recordnet.com

By The Record

Posted Jan. 23, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By The Record

Posted Jan. 23, 2014 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

STOCKTON - Police received almost simultaneous reports of two armed robberies carried out by three men matching similar descriptions Tuesday in the same northeast Stockton neighborhood.

Both robberies were reported about 6:50 p.m. in a neighborhood just north of March Lane and west of Holman Road, and both involved handguns, police said. In both cases, the robbers fled in a dark vehicle, possibly a four-door sedan, authorities said.

In one case, a man was walking near Rayanna and Fred Russo drives when he was approached by three men, including one who was armed with a gun, officers said. The gunman told the man to empty his pockets while one of his accomplices went through the man's pockets, taking personal property, police said.

The robbers were described as a man standing 5 feet 9 inches tall with a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans; a man standing 6 feet 2 inches tall wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans; and a Latino man in his 20s standing 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build, a mustache, a black hooded sweatshirt and a black handgun, authorities said.

The other robbery occurred about a half-mile away in the 2500 block of Cornflower Street, police said. A man was exiting his vehicle after pulling into his garage when an armed man walked in and demanded his money, police said. The man handed over his wallet to the gunman, who removed cash and threw the wallet back, officers said. The victim then noticed two more men were standing at his garage door pointing guns at him, police said.

The gunman who entered the garage was a Latino man in his 20s standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 160 pounds with a mustache, blue jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt pulled over a black hat, authorities said. One of his accomplices was described as a man 19 to 20 years old standing 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build, police said. The other was a man in his 20s, officers said.

FRENCH CAMP - The California Highway Patrol arrested a man Wednesday in connection with a fatal hit-and-run collision that occurred last week in Manteca.

Herminio Ayala Ponce, 60, was arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run resulting in death or injury and vehicular manslaughter, said Officer James Smith, a spokesman for the Highway Patrol. The suspect is being held at the San Joaquin County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail and is scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday, according to jail records.

Ponce was driving a 1991 International two-axle tank truck west on French Camp Road just west of Highway 99 at 6:38 a.m. Jan. 13 when he made a left turn onto West Frontage Road, the CHP said. Ponce turned directly into the path of a 24-year-old motorcycle rider, who sustained fatal injuries when he struck the truck's rear axle, officers said. The victim was also struck by a second vehicle traveling east on French Camp Road, the CHP said.

Ponce momentarily stopped but then continued south on West Frontage Road, authorities said. Construction workers in the area called 911 and followed Ponce, helping authorities locate him, the CHP said.

According to police, the man was walking near East Main and South San Joaquin streets about 5:20 a.m. when three men exited a vehicle and said, "Hey, what's up?" When the victim turned around, he was punched in the face and fell to the ground, officers said. The assailants continued punching the victim, removed cash from his pockets, took his headphones and stole a cellphone, police said.

The robbers then fled in their vehicle. All three were described as Latino men 20 to 30 years old, authorities said.

One was 5 feet 7 inches tall and 250 pounds with a black Oakland Raiders jacket and a dark-colored beanie, police said. The second was 5 feet 9 inches tall and 160 pounds with short hair, black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt, officers said. The third was 5 feet 11 inches tall and 170 pounds with short hair, black pants and a black sweatshirt, authorities said.

STOCKTON - The San Joaquin Delta College Police Department is trying to identify a suspect and a person of interest in a sexual battery incident that occurred about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.

A female student was walking toward campus on the Shima 2 pathway when a man approached her from behind, reached around her midsection with both arms and tried to unbuckle her belt while kissing her on the neck, police said.

The man then let the victim go and left the area in an unknown direction, authorities said. The assailant was described as a black man with a dark complexion wearing long, dark sleeves and dark-colored pants, police said.

Moments before the attack, the woman was walking with an unknown man whom she met outside the Goleman Library, authorities said. He was described as a black man with a dark complexion wearing a black jacket, black pants and white tennis shoes, police said. Officers believe he may have witnessed the attack.